Managing Anxiety With Medical Marijuana

There are approximately 40 million Ameicans in the United States that have been diagnosed with some form of an anxiety disorder. This can include diagnoses like social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and many others that fall into that same category. The thing about these disorders is that they can often be debilitating for the patients dealing with them, and not everyone out there understands the importance of mental health and how much it can impact one’s life. And yes, mental health disorders can very easily manifest themselves in physical symptoms, like high blood pressure, nausea or vomiting, headaches, and many others.

Today we are going to be talking about everything related to medical marijuana and how it can be an effective treatment option for those patients struggling with anxiety. It is important to keep in mind just exactly how cannabis can help with anxiety. One of the main benefits of medical marijuana relates to the cannabidiol content that it contains and how it reacts to the brain. Many clinical studies and medical research have been done to investigate and identify just how marijuana affects the brain and how it reacts to various neurons firing. CBD (abbreviation for cannabinoid) has shown to have effective soothing properties that can help the brain and the body relax. This is perfect for people who regularly struggle with anxiety disorders when they are just trying to get through the day. For some people, doing simple tasks can be a challenge when faced with a panic attack or something like that. So what part of the brain actually receives that CBD found in cannabis?

Well, my friends, researchers have found that there is something called the endocannabinoid system (also known as ECS) that is made up of receptors found throughout various places in the human body and brain. This ECS symptom actually plays a huge role in the regulation of stress and anxiety throughout our body. So when CBD is able to target and sooth this system, it goes a long way in making us feel more calm and at peace.

If you know anything about using cannabis, then you are probably wondering why I have not yet mentioned THC and its relation to dealing with anxiety. THC is the part of marijuana that gets you high, and what most people think of when it comes to using cannabis. However, studies and clinical trials have shown mixed results when it comes to the effectiveness of THC treating anxiety. This is because, unlike CBD, THC does not have the same effect in every single patient. While some people swear by the effectiveness of THC and its ability to calm and relax them when they are struggling with anxiety, others report that THC can have the exact opposite effect and actually make their mental health symptoms worse.

However, it is also important to keep in mind that there are so many different strains of cannabis available on the market today, that there is bound to be one that is helpful for treating your anxiety or mental health disorders. There are actually over 700 known strains of cannabis, and each one is unique in how it reacts to people’s minds and bodies. With that being said, there are some strains that are really well known for their ability to help patients overcome their anxiety disorders. Mental health is a huge concern for a lot of Americans, especially in the wake of the pandemic. I hope that more and more people are able to turn to the natural treatment option of medical marijuana in the near future.

How to Save Money at the Marijiuana Dispensary

If you are lucky enough to live in a state that has legalized the adult use of cannabis, then you can basically go to the dispensary whenever you want and buy yourself some weed (if you are over the age of 21). However, one of the main roadblocks that cannabis users run into when wanting to buy recreational marijuana is price. Not everyone can afford to buy weed every weekend, especially if money has been tight lately or you have lost your job in relation to the pandemic. It is also true that medical marijuana users can have a hard time affording their cannabis as well, mostly due to the fact that not many insurance companies will actually cover any of the costs associated with medical marijuana. That includes doctor's appointments, renewal fees, and of course the cost of the cannabis products. 

With all of this being said, you can probably understand what I am talking about as far as being able to afford cannabis. Some states are cheaper than others, but many people attest to not being able to regularly afford cannabis in their area even if they wanted to. The people taking the biggest hit from this are medical marijuana patients that rely on using cannabis regularly to treat certain health conditions. Unfortunately, many of these patients that are looking for alternative medicines are stuck using medications and prescriptions that are actually covered by their insurance provider. If you ask me, insurance in this country is just a straight-up scam. I am looking forward to a future in which cannabis, both for recreational and for medical users, is much more affordable. How can something as dangerous as opioids or alcohol be more affordable than cannabis? I have no idea. 

Did you know that cannabis consumption has reached an all-time high in the United States during 2021? More and more people are beginning to utilize marijuana for recreational purposes and also medical to treat and manage medical problems. So just how much money is the average American consumer spending on cannabis? Well, it may be much more than you think. We have looked at various information gathered from completing a poll of Americans. The results show that nearly half of all cannabis consumers that visit a dispensary spend anywhere between $500 and $2500 per year on marijuana alone. In addition to that, the poll also explained that over 71% of patients that use cannabis said it reduced their need to take over-the-counter medications for pain and other conditions. If you are like some of these cannabis users, you may very well be looking for a better way to save money when buying weed. Well, today I would like to spend a little time talking about how you can save money the next time you go to buy weed. One of the first things that you should be doing is looking for sales. Believe it or not, sales are not just for grocery stores and Best Buy. 

Many dispensaries will have weekly or monthly sales going on that you can find out about by visiting their website or social media pages. This can save you a ton of money in the long run by buying weed that is on sale. Plus, you can end up trying some new strains that you come to love. Another thing you can do to save money at the dispensary is to buy in bulk. If you are good at storing your weed properly, there is no reason why you can’t buy some of your favorites in bulk when they go on sale. Not only will this save you trip to the dispensary down the road, but it can also save you money.

Medical Marijuana and Chronic Pain

Many people who are currently taking opioids to manage their chronic pain are considering switching to a more natural alternative like cannabis, and personally, I don’t blame them. There are currently 36 states in the United States that have legalized medical marijuana, and many of these states have listed chronic pain as one of the qualifying conditions in their medical marijuana program. A recent article written in Forbes actually highlighted new studies that are describing many states' success with their medical marijuana programs.

More specifically, these states are seeing lower reliance on opioids like fentanyl and oxycontin for medical patients who are dealing with severe levels of chronic pain or something like that. This is huge news for our country, especially while we are currently facing an opioid epidemic. Other studies in the similar vein was the one in Forbes pointed out that states that allow patients to obtain medical marijuana cards have 25% fewer opioid overdoses. Honestly, all of this information begs the question - why hasn’t medical marijuana been legalized on a federal level?

Regardless of how you may feel about cannabis and the stigma surrounding it, you cannot deny that using medical marijuana is objectively more natural and risk free than using something like opioids. Hopefully, state and federal governments are able to come to their senses in this regard; otherwise, we may not see an end to the opioid crisis in our country for quite some time. 

So how does one suffering with chronic pain go about getting their own medical marijuana card? Well, it is important to keep in mind that it differs and varies by state, so the process is not the same across the whole country. However, today we are going to be looking at the state of Oklahoma and how one can go about getting their medical marijuana card in this state. Firstly, patients must be over the age of 18 in order to start the process of applying for medical grade cannabis.

In addition, it is important to note that the state of Oklahoma does not restrict the use of cannabis to only certain qualifying conditions. If you are able to get your doctor’s approval and then be referred, you are pretty much good to go. The thing about chronic pain is that it is often hard to diagnose and can manifest itself in a lot of different ways. The CDC actually reported that, in 2018, there were about 20.4% of adults in the United States suffering from chronic pain, and 8% of those suffering from severe chronic pain. For people that are dealing with this kind of pain, just getting through the day can be too difficult without the help of medical intervention (like medical marijuana).

Chronic pain can be extremely debilitating for a lot of patients. For some people, their pain is unbearable and can keep them out of work, in poverty, or without sleep. The great thing about medical marijuana is that it is generally considered risk free and can be taken or consumed in a variety of ways. Some people prefer to smoke their weed, while others enjoy taking edibles or tinctures.

For people with chronic pain that are just trying to survive, medical marijuana can make a huge difference in their lives. You honestly don’t know how bad it is to live with chronic pain until you experience it yourself. I hope that you learned something from reading this article and that you can find medical marijuana as an effective treatment option for managing your chronic pain. Come back next week to read about the time that I smoked weed in my grandma’s sauna.